Vanishing Point is a Canadian radio drama series produced and aired by CBC Radio from 1984 to 1986, and then under a variety of different subtitles until 1992. Created and produced by Bill Lane, Vanishing Point was the CBC’s follow-up to Nightfall, which had instilled new life into its many regional drama centers. Like that series, Vanishing Point drew staff and resources from the CBC's entire coast to coast network to mount what came to be regarded as one of the best CBC radio series.Digital Deli Brief History of Vanishing Point
While primarily a science fiction series, the anthology presented a wide range of genres including thriller, horror, detective, psychological drama, comedy and even the occasional musical.Fink, Howard (February 7, 2006). “Radio Drama in English" The Canadian Encyclopedia. A number of episodes were adaptations of short stories from famous authorsNicoll, James Davis (December 8, 2017) "Classic SF Radio Dramas to Stretch the Imagination" like Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh, but many were original plays from Canada’s top talent. Bill Lane workshopped plays from the winners of various Canadian literary competitions as a way of “reaching an audience by developing the talents of new playwrights.”Nothof, Anne (January 1, 1990). “Canadian Radio Drama in English: Prick Up Your Ears” Theatre Research in Canada / Recherches théâtrales au Canada, 11.
Format The regular series ran for two seasons and began with a twice-a-week schedule, with a new episode airing each Friday on CBC-AM, and a re-run the following Monday on CBC Stereo.
The show took a hiatus in the summer of 1986 and returning in September with a six-episode adventure called The Black Persian, followed by a miniseries of modernized Nathaniel Hawthorne adaptations, setting a new direction for the series. Now Vanishing Point would act more as an umbrella program under which shorter miniseries would be developed.Van Luven, Lynne "CBC searches for authors" Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) 1989, June 20: Sect. C7 Some were serialized adaptations of classic science fiction works from authors like Arthur C. Clarke and Ursula K. Le Guin,OTR Plot Spot Sci-Fi Radio Episode Summaries while most were mini-anthologies, linked by a writer or theme. While still being promoted as Vanishing Point, these series all featured a unique title and opening. In some cases, two subseries ran simultaneously on different days of the week,Sparta Old Time Radio Vanishing Point Research Log creating considerable confusion for radio historians.Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs Vanishing Point Radio Log Things continued like this for several years until Vanishing Point went off the air for good in January, 1992.
Episodes Below is a full list of the first two seasons of Vanishing Point (episodes 1-69), followed by highlights from its more irregular later run. While the series repeated episodes quite a bit, most of these reruns are not listed except when they help clarify. All episodes listed are around thirty minutes long.Internet Archive Vanishing Point episode archive
+ # Title Notes Airdate 1 The Testing Of Stanley Teagarden On holiday in Jamaica, a woman finds herself intrigued by a fellow traveler and his obsession with perfecting a personality test. But the more questions she asks, the more terrifying the answers become. Written by Tim Wynne-Jones. October 5, 1984 2 Disappearance A bartender's quest for spiritual enlightenment leads him to question the importance of the material world. But as he finds himself plagued by a host of baffling disappearances, he - and the listener - must finally question the nature of reality itself. Written by David Helwig October 12, 1984 3 The Rescue A pair of marine biologists struggle to connect with their autistic son. Could their solution be swimming right in front of them? Written by Rafael Vigod October 19, 1984 4 Death and the Compass The mysterious murder of a Talmudic priest sends world famous Detective Lonnrot down a twisted path. Adapted by Alberto Manguel from the short story by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges October 26, 1984 5 Cage Of Light The year is 2116 and a mission to find intelligent life in the universe has gone awry when the sole survivor returns with no memory of his journey. Now a jury of scientists must go on their own mission: into his subconscious. Written by Bill Gray November 2, 1984 6 The Playground The decision to enroll his son in a new play center forces a man to dig back into the pain of his own childhood. If only there were a way to spare his son the same trauma... Adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story, dramatized by Martin Lager November 2, 1984 7 The Bailiff And The Women After a hard day's work in the Department of Social Welfare, it is a perfectly normal evening for Adrian Toope. That is, until he finds himself transported to a dream court, charged with a lifetime of crime. An acerbic work by Michael Cook November 9, 1984 8 The Quickening Laura and Peter are the perfect couple; everyone tells them so. But after an evening of rising tensions among their upwardly mobile crowd, their relationship suddenly takes an irreversible turn. The results are both absurd and shocking in this powerful first venture into radio by Judith Thompson, the author of the stage plays The Crackwalker and White Biting Dog November 16, 1984 9 The Golden Triangle Convinced his ex-wife has become an exotic dancer in the red light district, a bitter misogynist makes his best friend an indecent proposal. Written by Lawrence Russell November 23, 1984 10 The Silenian Test When a fleet of alien spacecraft appear in Earth’s atmosphere, they bring the promise of an extraordinary new peace... and for one man, a horrifying sacrifice. Written by David Lewis Stein November 30, 1984 11 Teenage Catalogue Model A young girl’s disappearance kicks off a tense game of cat and mouse between a shrewd police detective and a peculiar older gentleman. Written by Kent Thompson December 7, 1984 12 How Love Came To Professor Guildea A man of science is forced to question everything he believes when he finds himself pursued by a supernatural being. Robert Hichens' short story, dramatized by John Douglas December 14, 1984 13 The Cave W. D. Valgardson narrates this autobiographical tale about his Icelandic girlfriend and the mysterious cave that's obsessed her family for generations. Written by and starring W. D. Valgardson December 21, 1984 14 The Lost Door A middle aged man discovers his home has vanished and he's lost proof of his existence. Written by Steve Petch December 28, 1984 15 The Blue Devil A colony of women has survived a nuclear holocaust to create a new, matriarchal society, a world deliberately devoid of men. Written by Charles Tidler January 4, 1985 16 Point Of Departure Before leaving for a sun holiday, a woman is questioned by police about the husband she has not seen for five years. Written by Rachel Wyatt January 11, 1985 17 Skin A grasping art dealer spots the opportunity of a lifetime when he discovers a new work from a long-dead artist. Only problem? It is tattooed to an old man’s back. Adaptation of Roald Dahl's macabre short story, dramatized by Arthur Samuels January 25, 1985 18 Phase Three Convinced he's about to be replaced by a robot, an assembly line worker turns to desperate measures to ensure his family's financial security. Written by Bradd Burningham February 1, 1985 19 The Addict When her doctor refuses to prescribe any more pain medication, a paralegal falls into a downward spiral of crime, prostitution and maybe even murder. Written by George Ryga February 8, 1985 20 Startex, B16-k An outrageous satire about a “smart” coffee maker that first takes over a couple’s kitchen — then the world. Written by John Palmer February 15, 1985 21 Meteor Earth is being bombarded with meteor showers laden with the stardust of vanished solar systems. The earth has grown accustomed to these intrusions, humans have not. Adaptation of John Wyndham's short story, dramatized by David L. W. Pitt February 22, 1985 22 Zeppi's Machine A Trinidadian shop owner fights modernity by clinging to his folk remedies and received wisdom. But after a local robbery, will he turn to a computer to solve the crime? Written by Samuel Selvon March 1, 1985 23 Evaluation Two pilots, grounded in the frozen North by bad weather, succumb to the lure of a strange Inuk woman. Written by Steven Freygood March 15, 1985 24 Free To A Good Home Tom and Nancy promise one of the kittens they've advertised to their first caller. But the caller phoned before the newspaper ad even appeared, and seems to have an uncanny knowledge of the kitten's activities. Written by Paul Milliken March 22, 1985 25 Uluru On holiday in the Australian outback, a careless tourist mocks aboriginal customs and sacred sites. She's about to discover some ancient customs never went out of style... Written by Colleen Curran March 29, 1985 26 The Third Bank Of The River A Brazilian tells the story of his father who decided to leave their family and the whole society to live within a small canoe on a huge river. Adaptation of João Guimarães Rosa's moving short story, dramatized by Whitney Smith April 5, 1985 27 Unlived Lives A series of creepy phone calls and mysterious letters force a mild-mannered theater owner to reconsider the choices he's made in life. Written by David Helwig April 12, 1985 28 Ground Zero Terrified he will lose everyone he loves in a nuclear holocaust, an advertising exec becomes obsessed with keeping his family safe. But could his solution be worse than the problem? Written by Bryan Wade April 19, 1985 29 Messages A singer's telephone answering machine decides to take a hand in improving her career. Written by David King April 26, 1985 30 The Shining Path Larry’s sleepwalking has been getting worse but his therapist does not think it is anything to worry about. Maybe he'll change his mind when his wife is brutally murdered in the middle of the night. Written by Steve Petch May 3, 1985 31 The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman's classic tale of isolation and madness. Starring Mary Vingoe, who originally adapted this version for the stage at Toronto's Nightwood Theatre in 1981. May 10, 1985 32 The Woman In Black Velvet A woman settling in Africa soon discovers she has much to learn about this strange new world... and the one beyond. Adaptation of “Joseph and His Brother,” Audrey Thomas’ eerie ghost story about neocolonialism. Music composed and performed by Obo Addy May 17, 1985 33 Seeing God Struggling with depression, a young mother checks herself into a cutting-edge psychiatric clinic. But she may not be ready for Dr. Cameron’s more radical techniques. Based on the real-life psychological and mind control experiments of Dr. Ewan Cameron, whose work was funded by the CIA's MKUltra program. Written by Carol Bolt. Final episode of Vanishing Points first season, replaced for the summer by a 13-week run of ZBS' The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz then a few episodes of ZBS' The Taj Express || May 24, 1985 |- | 34 || The Black Serpent || Vacationing on a Greek island, a woman has an encounter with a goddess. Written by Steve Petch. First episode of Vanishing Point'''s second season. || September 30, 1985 |- | 35 || Nightmare In Rabbit City || An intergalactic rock opera about star-crossed lovers from warring planets. Text, music and lyrics by Keith McNair and performed by his musical group Sweet Lips || October 7, 1985 |- | 36 || The Enormous Radio || A couple in an apartment acquire an unusual radio which picks up conversations from their neighbors in the building. Could anyone resist the temptation to learn all their neighbors' secrets? Adaptation of John Cheever's short story, dramatized by Tim Wynne-Jones || October 14, 1985 |-